The next day at Titchfield saw a session 'book-ended' by Slavonian Grebe (not distant and out towards Brownwich but fairly close in off the carpark east of Rainbow Bar) and an adult male Peregrine very low into the harbour flushing gulls and Turnstones but presumably dissuaded from a serious attack with the proximity of so many boat masts.
In between these two pretty much nothing else, although the scrapes had been disturbed for their autumn haircut very recently. Three Snipe were the best and a heron was watched stabbing a hapless eel to death before downing it in two gulps.
Unfortunatlely, the star bird chose to wait until I'd got home before popping out in front of MSH briefly for one lucky birder; a Bluethroat, possibly the Hook bird although just as likely a new arrival. Either way this species still eludes my UK list. How embarrassing!! And to add insult to injury MF and AR both connected this morning. Luckily, 'a window in my schedule' has opened tomorrow morning so maybe it'll hang around although I'm guessing it might attract a few people as it's the first in twenty odd years here.
Saturday, and despite a reasonably early departure, saw MSH already crowded with Bluethroat fans and luckily, although not too close, gave decent scope views after a 10-15 minute wait. Second UK/Hants tick in five days - that's not happened in decades!!
Elsewhere a Kingfisher was still using one of the provided perches, two herons were too busy chasing each other up and down the reserve to go fishing and the Canadas are still increasing - probably 450-500 today. Apart from a light but steady passage of Swallows there was no sign of any migrants.
And it seems as if the grebe have finally decamped and flown into the Solent.
The wasp traps have been removed but a few sugar cubes left on the wall are keeping the wasp well fed with 20-30 on each cube.
Back home a Box Moth was dayflying around the garden; I'm guessing there are plenty about at the moment.
